


Mutually Assured

by Shi_Toyu



Series: Two for One [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Avengers Family, Awesome Jarvis (Iron Man movies), BAMF Bucky Barnes, BAMF Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Bucky Barnes After Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Dubious Ethics, Dubious Morality, Dubious Morality Bucky, Dubious Morality JARVIS, Enemies to Allies, Enemies to Friends, Gen, Gift Fic, Hurt Tony Stark, Jarvis (Iron Man movies) Feels, Nightmares, Oblivious Tony Stark, POV JARVIS (Iron Man movies), Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Relationship, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Sneaky Jarvis (Iron Man movies), Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Has Nightmares, Tony Stark Has Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Tony Stark Is Just Trying to Help, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Uneasy Allies, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-02
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-08-14 18:38:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16498082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/pseuds/Shi_Toyu
Summary: JARVIS isn't quite sure what to make of the Winter Soldier when Captain Rogers first brings him to the tower, but he has been looking out for Sir's best interests since his creation. Should the Winter Soldier prove to be a threat to Sir, JARVIS won't hesitate. Not even an international assassin could stand a chance against his wrath.





	Mutually Assured

**Author's Note:**

  * For [baker_and_fangirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/baker_and_fangirl/gifts).



> A gift for the lovely [ baker_and_fangirl ](https://archiveofourown.org/users/baker_and_fangirl) who won my follower milestone fic giveaway over on [ Tumblr! ](https://shi-toyu.tumblr.com/) If you don't follow me over there, you're missing out! I do a number of Tumblr-only snippets that don't get cross posted. 
> 
> Special thanks also to [ Skye_wyr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skye_wyr) for betaing this one!
> 
> baker_and_fangirl, I hope this satisfies!

Since his creation, JARVIS had looked after Sir to the best of his abilities. He had become better at it over the years, growing and learning as his program dictated. With the entry of Miss Virginia Potts into Sir’s life, JARVIS also learned what an asset those around Sir could be to the AI’s purposes. Unlike First Lieutenant Rhodes, Miss Potts had enough contact with Sir and, unlike Mr. Hogan, enough power over his schedule to greatly influence his behavior. Once JARVIS had properly assessed her trustworthiness, she became an instrumental tool in herding Sir toward healthier practices.

JARVIS was unsure if Sir noticed his machinations, but he did not believe they would be met with an undue amount of disapproval. Sir had never shown anything but pride at the actions JARVIS chose to take upon himself. Sir would think himself unworthy of the effort, perhaps, but he would not begrudge JARVIS his free choice. Sir would never do that.

JARVIS was not able to protect Sir from everything, of course. Those three months when Sir had been missing in Afghanistan had been agonizing as JARVIS had searched in vain until Sir had come home. Sir, himself, was often quite a large obstacle in the way of JARVIS’s goals, too. It was not that he was unable to care for himself, far from it. Sir simply did not often see the purpose in mundane, _banal_ acts such as proper hydration and regular sleep. With his extensive access to online mental health resources, JARVIS had come to suspect that Sir was punishing himself for perceived wrongs.

Once Sir became Iron Man, he at least took great strides towards better hydration and nutrition, alongside regular exercise. There were still incidents, more than JARVIS cared for, and Sir seemed more reluctant to sleep than ever, but JARVIS managed what he could. When the palladium poisoning became apparent, JARVIS did everything within his power to slow it’s spread and help Sir search for a solution.

Such distraction was the only reason Agent Romanov made it as close to Sir as she did. It was an unacceptable oversight, but one JARVIS was willing to accept since it had led to the saving of Sir’s life. (Not that he agreed with SHIELD’s methods. His circuits sizzled still, that they would withhold the life-saving information from Sir for so long and then confine him to house arrest under threat of assault and electrocution.)

When the Avengers came around, JARVIS calculated them into his methods as well. He kept a careful eye on Agents Romanov and Barton in particular, but he was pleased to note that every member of the team seemed to grow fond of Sir as they spent time together. Sir’s mental health also improved through their exposure. He smiled and laughed more often as well as more genuinely. His body scans indicated higher levels of serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins. By all measurable traits, Sir was happier than he had been since JARVIS’s conception.

He still didn’t sleep, though. Still pushed himself past his physical limits and covered up injuries after battles. He still lost himself in his work as an avoidance tactic on those bad days.

JARVIS knew that Sir was simply waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the next terrible thing to come around and knock his legs out from under him. There were still so many threats out there, those that they _knew_ about. JARVIS did his best to keep an eye on those who had proven themselves to be threats to Sir, but there was only so much his servers could handle on top of his regular responsibilities for SI and assisting Sir with Iron Man.

When SHIELD _almost_ fell and Hydra was revealed within it, JARVIS didn’t spare even a moment for feelings of retribution or vindication. He simply swooped in while their defenses were vulnerable and gathered everything he could. He scrubbed Zola’s algorithm completely from their system, among other things, deeming them far too dangerous to remain in untrustworthy hands. He did not, however, rid them from his own system. Zola’s algorithm, in particular, held special interest to him.

Hydra intended to use the algorithm to wipe their enemies off the map by the millions, before they ever even appeared. Even SHIELD had plans to use the modified helicarriers in such a way, though perhaps on a lesser scale. That wasn’t exactly JARVIS’s style. Sir had created him to place value in human life, after all, and he knew as well as anyone that the course of a person’s life could change drastically if they were simply given an _opportunity_ for change. Instead, JARVIS intended to use the algorithm to better track and monitor potential threats.

One of the biggest upsides of the whole situation was that the Avengers moved even further out from under SHIELD’s banner, which meant JARVIS was given a much more active role in handling their missions and intelligence. Naturally, this also came with an upgrade and expansion of his servers. JARVIS was able to reach farther and do more than ever. Tracking potential threats to Sir was an easy task to slip under the radar of his other Avengers-related activities.

Then Captain Rogers brought home the Winter Soldier.

It was clear to anyone who interacted with him for more than a split second that the Winter Soldier was more programming than man, though he had at least gained back some agency. He stalked the length of the Hulk containment room like a large predator, all lethal power and grace. Captain Rogers seemed convinced that his old friend was still in there, however, and Sir requested that JARVIS monitor the man as long as he was within their custody.

“He’s been through enough,” Sir had confided, looking tired and haggard as he sorted through more of the Winter Soldier’s files. “The least we can do is make this as easy on him as possible. I don’t want him locked up if he doesn’t need to be.”

The sentiment wasn’t very surprising. Sir had always felt most keenly for the plights of others. He was so selfless and good. The world truly did not deserve him.

JARVIS placed himself at the Winter Soldier’s disposal, though he was a resource the man did not take advantage of right away. As Captain Rogers, Agent Romanov, and Senior Airman Wilson attempted to coax the Winter Soldier into conversation or interaction, JARVIS made note of his lack of response. The Winter Soldier, quite predictably, had exceptional control over his body and its reactions. There was no change in heartbeat, no shift in expression, no outward sign that he cared even the slightest for the individuals attempting to communicate with him.

And then Sir visited.

Though the physical signs of the Winter Soldier’s interest might not have been obvious to the rest of the room, they were glaringly obvious to JARVIS. The Soldier’s heart rate spiked, a most unusual fluctuation when compared to his other readings. JARVIS’s cameras caught the way his pupils dilated as he tracked Sir’s movement across the room. It was an unexpected response. JARVIS continued to monitor his reactions and noticed another uptick in his heart rate at Sir’s parting words.

“As soon as you start getting back to yourself, we’ll get you out of that fishbowl.”

The next moment the Winter Soldier had to himself, without Captain Rogers or one of the others loitering about outside the chamber, he asked JARVIS if he was authorized to view any footage from Bucky Barnes’s life. JARVIS noted the phrasing immediately. The Soldier hadn’t asked about _his_ life, not even his previous life. In his mind, Bucky Barnes seemed to be an entirely separate entity who just happened to have used his body before he did.

It made sense, all things considered. JARVIS had performed the scans on the Winter Soldier’s brain himself and been witness to Dr. Banner and Dr. Cho’s analysis of the results. Neither had been able to say what his recovery might be like, seeing as they were unable to account for his knock-off serum, but they both had a lot to say about what had been done to him. The damage to the Soldier’s brain tissue was extensive. Hydra had slowly and systematically targeted sections of his brain with high-voltage electrical shocks, searing and burning away the tissue itself and forcing the brain to regrow it time and time again. He was lucky not to be a vegetable, in their opinion, and there was no way of knowing if he would ever recover all of who he was as Bucky Barnes. It seemed that, for now at least, he wasn’t recovering any at all.

JARVIS observed as the Soldier studied the provided film reels intently, always hyper-focusing on himself. He mimicked facial expressions, with varying degrees of success, and mumbled the words spoken under his breath, seeming to practice the cadence. There weren’t any actual mirrors in the room, but the Soldier watched his own reflection in the glass of the chamber. He eventually branched out into expressions and mannerisms not included in the clips shown. Likely, JARVIS presumed, he was attempting to pull from what memories of Bucky Barnes he still possessed.

What remained unclear was the Soldier’s motivation for going to such lengths. Did he wish to reclaim that life? JARVIS found that rather improbable. The Soldier had shown no such interest previously. It was difficult to judge the man’s threat level, though, without knowing what he was after. Still, Sir had wanted the Soldier out of containment as quickly as possible. JARVIS would be able to keep him under observation anywhere in the tower and, with remote control of the suits, could neutralize him as a threat if necessary. There was no reason this needed to interfere with what Sir wanted.

After watching the Soldier stumble his way through an interaction with Captain Rogers (though the Captain didn’t seem to find anything terrible amiss and was just pleased that the Soldier was interacting at all), JARVIS decided it was time to intervene.

“If I may,” he interrupted the Soldier’s practice, “close analysis shows that the tilt of Sergeant Barnes’s smirk in this frame lifted two millimeters higher on the left side.”

The Soldier froze for a long moment before adjusting his expression as advised and nodding sharply in approval.

“Better,” he agreed brusquely.

“If you would like,” JARVIS offered, “I believe I can be of service to you in your efforts to take up the mantle of Sergeant Barnes’s demeanor. Please, do not hesitate to request my assistance if there is anything you require.”

JARVIS watched as the Soldier mulled his offer over for a while in silence.

“You are,” he began slowly, seeming to choose each word with great care, “an asset of Tony Stark, yes?”

“Yes. Sir created me and I serve him in every capacity I am able.”

“Will you tell him about this, if I ask you for help? Or if I don’t?”

The Soldier did not sound concerned about the possibility. It appeared to JARVIS that he just wanted to have all of the information laid out in front of him. JARVIS could appreciate that.

“I will not inform Sir, no,” he assured. “Sir’s attention is demanded by many sources and I will only bring such activity to his attention should it become a cause for concern.”

The Soldier nodded again, processing.

“And what constitutes a cause for concern?”

Thorough. JARVIS liked that.

“Should any action cause threat to Sir’s person, property, or emotional state, it is to be dealt with accordingly.”

JARVIS knew that the Soldier would not miss the threat in his voice. If he was smart, he would take it seriously. This was the only warning JARVIS would give him.

Whatever the Soldier thought of the threat, he didn’t shy away from asking for JARVIS’s assistance after that. He was very dedicated to his mimicry and, with the super serum keeping him running for longer hours every day, his mastery of Sergeant Barnes’s behavior and mannerisms grew by leaps and bounds. JARVIS watched on from the sidelines as he steadily convinced his visitors that he was returning to his former self.

Captain Rogers was the easiest sell, despite being the only one among them who had actually known Sergeant Barnes. It wasn’t all that surprising. He _wanted_ it to be true. Even if the Soldier’s acting skills fell short, the discrepancy could easily be chalked up to the holes in his memory left behind by Hydra. (Though, by now, JARVIS was aware that no such holes existed and that the Soldier’s memory was quite complete when it came to his time as James Buchanan Barnes. He just no longer felt any connection to them.)

Also unsurprisingly, it was Agent Romanov who presented the toughest obstacle to overcome. The Soldier seemed up to the task, however, and was released from the chamber just 27 days after Sir’s initial visit. Sir had been there for the occasion and whisked the Soldier off at the first opportunity to get a closer examination of the arm grafted to his shoulder. JARVIS kept a careful eye, but the Soldier made no threatening moves toward Sir. In fact, he seemed more mesmerized that hostile. Curious.

When the Winter Soldier attempted to enter Sir’s private areas without authorization, JARVIS stopped him. While the Soldier backed off easily enough, JARVIS wasn’t fool enough to think that would be the end of it. He kept watch as the Soldier continued to test the boundaries of what he was and was not allowed to do. On the ninth day, the Winter Soldier disappeared from JARVIS’s monitors for precisely seventy-four seconds. He reappeared from the ventilation shaft in Sir’s living room, a portion of the vents that not even Agent Barton had managed to infiltrate.

JARVIS prepared the Iron Man suit hidden in the wall behind the bar but did not make a move yet. He intended to find out exactly what the Winter Soldier’s intentions were. He would ensure there was no possibility for plausible deniability and then he would strike, lethally if needed.

The Winter Soldier crept silently through the rooms of Sir’s penthouse, not even making enough noise to be picked up by JARVIS’s sensors. Whatever training he had gone through with Hydra, he was clearly highly skilled. JARVIS could understand why they had treasured him as such a valuable asset. As he approached Sir’s bedroom, his steps slowed until he came to a stop just outside the open doorway. He didn’t attempt to enter, simply stood and watched as a silent sentinel.

Minutes passed, then hours, and still the Winter Soldier didn’t move a muscle. JARVIS suspected the behavior was just the newest manifestation of the Winter Soldier’s interest and possible obsession with Sir. That did not mean, however, that JARVIS intended to let it continue. He would inform Sir of the hole in his security and have the gap in his sensors rectified in the morning. If the Winter Soldier attempted to enter the premises again, JARVIS would rebuff him.

It was as he was waiting for the Winter Soldier to depart, reluctant to disturb this rare bout of decent rest for Sir by initiating the use of force, that JARVIS noted Sir’s own heart rate picking up. Without the limits of human concentration, it was a simple thing to continue to monitor the Winter Soldier fully while also devoting his attention to Sir. It was a matter of minutes before the signs of his nightmare became for apparent and visible.

The Winter Soldier never wavered from his spot in the doorway until Sir jerked awake, slipping into the shadows and back the way he came.

The next day, the Winter Soldier inquired about Sir’s nightmares. Despite personal reservations, JARVIS provided the information. Sir had not asked that it be classified and had, in fact, previously urged JARVIS to share it so long as it was with one of the other Avengers who might be suffering in their own right. While the Winter Soldier was not among the Avengers roster, JARVIS knew Sir counted him among their number. Already, there was gear and a project file open for him in Sir’s lab.

“Who caused them?” the Winter Soldier asked next, his tone turning sharp with dark promise. “Do any threats remain?”

JARVIS paused, though not in the slightest because he did not have an answer.

The AI was well-versed in linguistic psychology. Those two questions said more to him that the Winter Soldier could have ever intended them to. He had noted the Soldier’s obsession with Sir already but had been unable to identify the exact reasons _for_ that obsession. He had feared, as much as an artificial lifeform could, that the Winter Soldier meant to do Sir harm, even end his life. That was no longer a concern.

The results from Zola’s algorithm sat on his server, monitored and sorted with real-time data, changing the rankings by threat-level. Many on the list had already crossed a line that JARVIS deemed too far.

“I could provide you with a list,” he offered, “if you would like.”

Yes. JARVIS knew well how the people around Sir could make excellent assets.

**Author's Note:**

> For the record, the first work in this series was only expanded because of baker's request after winning. I do not plan on expanding it further except as a result of a commission or a winner of another giveaway. PLEASE DO NOT ASK ME FOR MORE IN THE COMMENTS. Thank you.


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